Air Date: September 27, 2014

A/B story: Max needs minions to help him take over the school (and the world).  Phoebe needs minions to help her complete her chores before she goes to a new teen dance club.

Cherry alert!  And Club Ooh!  Ooh!  ( a nice throwback to episode #1)

This is one of the few times I remember that Max and Phoebe were in parallel plots but not involved in the same plot.

Marymount School had the idea first award: The Mariachi Band (circa 2009).

After pulling a prank of Principal Bradford (played with gleeful snarkiness by Jeff Meacham, Max is named “Public School Enemy #1.”  This, of course, attracts the attention of three castoffs from nerdland (or central casting) who implore Max to “teach us your pranky ways.”  Max turns this request into having minions to take over the world.  Little does he know they will turn against him.

At about the same time, while excited by the opportunity to go to the new “teen dance club,” Phoebe is challenged by the fact she must complete two pages of chores before Saturday.  (Bad parenting alert – maybe Hank and Barb could have given her a heads up early; Bad planning alert – between a dress, shoes, hair and makeup, its going to take Phoebe all week to get ready).  She coerces her siblings to “do her chores” by framing it as superhero training.

I like that Phoebe isn’t too afraid to take a step into the dark side and Max does deeply care for his siblings.

The Max as motivational scene cracked me up.  I’m not sure I’d buy the DVD, “Prank you, Max Thunderman.  You’re Welcome!” But you know trouble is abrewing when Max says to his minions “You wanna be the best, you have to take on the top dog.”  Eventually his minions are fully maximized and the tables are turned.

In true sitcom fashion, every scheme falls apart.  Billy and Nora find Phoebe’s chore list (which closed captioning kept calling the “choir list”) and they rig her vacuum cleaner (the vacuum-fu) to blow the dust out.

Max gets his revenge at the Bradford Special Assembly and takes down his minions.  My only complaints …

• We’ve seen the crap from the ceiling route before.
• Ahh, the old “we can’t walk on high heels” gag.
• Its the second episode where Max’s prankiness has been featured.

The scene with Dr. Colosso was the kind of zaniness I approve.  Not at the same level as Arithmo-tic, but still inspired zaniness.

Waiting on the next episode!